


The Beast That Eats Its Tail

by kittypox



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha Shiro (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Lil Takashi, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Keith (Voltron), Sequel to Alpha Hunter, still angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-04-01 08:02:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13993992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittypox/pseuds/kittypox
Summary: Retiring from the coalition is easier said than done, even in Keith's condition. Even with his mighty alpha mate protecting him, he somehow still manages to get caught in the midst of the coalition's war with the rebel group, The Hand of Krell. Time is not on the coalition's side as they struggle to squash the power vacuum and discover how the paladins are linked to the mysterious beast the rebels worship. Keith does not know what this 'Beast That eats It Tail' is and why the rebels are so keen on feeding him to it, but he does not intend on finding out.





	The Beast That Eats Its Tail

**Author's Note:**

> And you thought this would be all mush. Wrong! Oh, there will be plenty of sheith mush, but I like plot with my mush too lol
> 
> So let's see what I throw at you this time.
> 
> This is planned to be considerably shorter than Alpha Hunter and not nearly as gut-punchingly emotional. Reading Alpha Hunter will probably help make this story make sense, as it builds on that entire world.

"Here, try this."

Shiro reeled back, nose curling in offense at the pungent oil Lance had oh so gracefully shoved beneath his nostrils. Immediately, his nasal passages dried and burned, protesting the stench. A hasty smack sent Lance's hands flying and he was able to breathe once more. His nose tickled somewhat, but it was a discomfort he would have to live with. Short of thrusting his fingers up his nose, there was little to do about it but wiggle his nose and try to ignore the discomfort.

"Smells too strong." he mumbled, wiping his hand beneath his nose, hoping the trickle of snot had escaped Lance's notice.

It hadn't. The man grinned, putting the bottle of oil aside and reaching in his basket of care items. "Guess that nose job really worked, huh?"

"It was not a nose job." Shiro said tightly.

"They surgically fixed your nose, didn't they?" 

Shiro had to begrudgingly admit the truth of that statement.

"Then it was a nose job." Lance said, matter-of-factly, handing over a new bottle of oil. "Here. Hanavarda infused body oil. Great for sore muscles and good sleep." He paused, considering, then added. "Don't get it on Keith. Just in case."

Back in the basket it went. Shiro growled, frustrated. What he had assumed to be a simple task of finding an oil or lotion to rub into his taut muscles was becoming a chore. Anything that Keith could not touch was barred from their bedroom. It was a delicate process, finding something safe for a sensitive omega to handle, yet strong enough to melt away the knots in his muscles--and not burn his nasal passage in the process. 

"Forget it." he grumbled dejectedly. "This is ridiculous."

Lance stared at him apologetically. He could see that Shiro was no longer in the mood to rifle through lotions and discuss health benefits of medicinal plant treatments. He could understand the man's frustrations; if he were in Shiro's shoes and Gris was in a delicate condition, he wouldn't risk her health either.

"Why not try some of Keith's pregnancy oils? If it works for him, maybe it will work for you."

Now there was a thought. Shiro hummed, mulling the idea over. He was very familiar with the citrus scented oil that Keith used on his newly hyper-sensitive skin. He loved pouring the warm oil into his palms before smearing it lovingly on his mate's body. His preference for the oil likely had something to do with the reward of getting his hands all over Keith's body, but Shiro supposed there was no harm in simply seeing how he reacted when the oil was turned on himself.

The pleasant thought carried him all the way to their new quarters--a former royal bedchamber, a gift from Allura to their growing family. Truthfully, it was nice to have some distance between them and the rest of the paladins. Much as he loved their family, the snide comments and knowing looks could grow tedious. It was no secret what went on behind closed doors; Shiro felt no need to be reminded of it on a daily basis. 

That, and his alpha side was all but demanding he keep Keith secreted away in their new nest, where he knew the man was safe. Probably time to adjust his serum, Shiro thought as he slipped into their quarters, striding through the sitting room and towards their bed chamber. If he was this overprotective now, he would hate to see how unbearable he was once Keith was heavy with child. 

An image popped into his mind of him crouched protectively over his mate, hand laid possessively over a very obviously pregnant stomach. He wondered how Keith would take to that. His mate was proud and loathed being coddled...but there was no denying how affectionate they had both become after the events of the past year. Their coming child only fueled their insatiable need for skin on skin contact with one another. 

"Keith?"

The nest was empty, the blankets thrown about as if Keith had departed hastily. A pang of concern twisted Shiro's gut and he sniffed the air. The heady scent of weak omega filled his nostrils; still in the apartment then, but where? Shiro supposed the most logical place to look would be the bathroom. 

Rapping his knuckles against the door in warning, he pressed his hand to the keypad. The door slid open with a hiss and the sound of violent retching reached his ears. In a second, he was by the man's side, lifting the tail of disheveled hair from Keith's face. A tired but appreciative glance was tossed his way between streams of vomit. 

"That's it, baby," Shiro crooned, rubbing his hand soothingly down the man's back, "get it out."

It took a few minutes for the fit to pass. When they were certain that Keith was fine, Shiro fetched a tall glass of water.

"Feeling better?" he asked, handing it to his mate and laying a hand to his forehead.

Keith grunted, swallowing the water greedily. Fine was a relative term. He hadn't felt 'fine' in months. He was still curious as to where he ought to draw the line in his memory from sickness via medication to baby induced sickness. If he put his mind to it, Keith was sure there were a few subtle nuances that he could pick up on to differentiate the two situations--but he couldn't find the energy or will to care. What did it matter? Be it because of baby or medication, he was still sick. At least the morning sickness he could forgive. 

Strong hands came down, grabbing onto his forearms firmly and easing him onto his feet. With nothing in his system, save the precious little left from dinner last night, he wavered on his feet. Immediately, Shiro wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him.

"I wasn't going to fall, Shiro."

The man hummed, humoring him even as steered them towards the bed. "I'd rather err on the side of caution."

"If you're going to be this overbearing for the rest of this pregnancy, we're going to have a problem."

Shiro made no comment. He did not even need to question whether or not he would be as 'overbearing', as his lovely mate termed it, the rest of the pregnancy. Of course he would. Not a month ago, he had held Keith in his arms as the man hemorrhaged blood from a gaping wound in his neck. For a terrifying, heart-stopping moment, he had thought that he was going to lose his mate, the love of his life wasting away right there in his arms, within feet of the monster that had cleaved them apart for years.

Even if that fear had not taken root in his brain, he would still be compelled by the mind boggling fact that they were to have a baby. A baby. After years of believing Keith to be barren, there was a baby on the way. No matter how many times he thought it, even spoke it aloud to himself in the quiet moments of his day, Shiro could still not believe it. A baby.

A sharp pinch to his forearm demanded his attention and he blinked, finding Keith tucked beneath layers of blanket.

"Have you nested enough, baby?"

Keith snorted, glancing about their bed. "There's at least seven blankets here, Shiro."

Probably more. He had raided the supply closets of three floors for Keith.

"Nesting is important." Shiro said, as if he were an expert on the matter.

"Oh, is it really? I wouldn't have known that if you hadn't told me, dear. Thank you for enlightening me."

"Shall I expect this baby to be cracking jokes and spitting sarcastic one-liners at me as it comes out, or did something happen to grate on your nerves?" Shiro asked, easing beneath the covers and slipping close. 

The hard expression on Keith's face faltered. The tangy scent of distress rose and filled Shiro's nose. Immediately, he put his arms around his mate and crooned apologetically. Hormones, he reminded himself. Keith's hormones had been bouncing all over the place for months; pregnancy was just going to make it worse. The added discomfort of morning sickness was bound to make even the most stoic of men irritable. 

"Sorry, baby. I was just joking."

"It's fine." Keith said with a distinct sulk. "I shouldn't have been so crass."

"This is a hard time for you." Shiro whispered, ducking his head to nuzzle into his mate's soft hair. His nose was pressed against the ridge of scar along the man's neck, where a scent gland should have been. He could smell the floral shampoo that they used and a bit of spicy body fragrance...but no omega scent. 

Keith sighed, eyelids fluttering closed as his mate nosed along the column of his neck. He could smell Shiro's displeasure, as he always did when the man pressed against his scarred neck. It was not the lack of scent that disturbed the man so, he knew. It was the memory of how he had come to have that scar. 

Hunching his shoulders, effectively pushing Shiro away, he burrowed deep into the blankets, dragging one up to his chin. Not to be deterred, Shiro adjusted his hold, resting his chin atop the man's head. A moment later, his warm bionic hand snuck beneath the layers of blankets and the thin material of Keith's shirt, settling over the man's belly.

Keith felt his chest bubble with warmth. "You won't feel anything yet, Shiro. It's way too early."

"Maybe." the man chuckled. "You never know. You remember that Knair said galra omegas only gestate five months."

God, yes, Keith did remember. That had been a frightening discovery; he could not imagine his baby developing fast enough to be born after just five months. Most omegas he knew needed at least seven months of gestation. Over the years, he had even run into a few who took nine months to fully gestate. Five months seemed impossibly short, even for an omega.

Logically, he doubted that their child would be arriving at such short notice. Nearest as he and Knair could tell, he was a month, perhaps a month and a half along. Had he been one fifth of the way through his carrying, Keith was sure he would have been showing by then. Still, he was ever watchful of his body, looking for any strange signs or symptoms that he would be taking after his galra blood in this particular matter.

A gentle kiss was pressed to his ear.

"Do you remember in school, when you would huddle in my bed during your heats and moan about how much you wanted to have my babies?"

Arousal flooded the tent of blankets. Shiro shifted closer, pressing against him teasingly. He pressed kiss after kiss to whatever skin he could find, delighting in the taste of his mate's flesh. He swore that he could taste the change in the man's hormones, that he could practically taste the coming baby on his skin. 

Keith growled in response, stomach still gurgling unhappily. "Yes. And I remember how you practically begged to mount me in front of your superior officers when you were in your ruts."

The man chuckled against his skin. "We were both delirious about making babies when we were in the throes of it."

That they were. It was almost embarrassing how many 'get me pregnant, my alpha!' and 'I'm going to fill you with my pups' passed between them. 

Keith shrugged. He supposed there was no need for either of them to be embarrassed about it. "That's what happens when you put a healthy omega with an equally healthy alpha." Back then, they had still thought he was fertile; the dark curtain of bareness had not yet fallen. "Thank god we used protection back then. You would have knocked me up for sure."

Now that they knew just how capable Keith was of carrying children, Shiro was inclined to agree. Even had he not been as virile as he was, the sheer amount of times they copulated during heats and ruts would have undoubtedly produced some offspring. Of course, it would have been future ending at the time... A small part of Shiro though almost wished they had lost themselves to youthful indiscretion. They would not be pilots, that would be certain. Out of necessity, Keith would have been forced to abandon his piloting goals. He himself would have been reprimanded for fraternization with a cadet and likely removed from any space exploration missions. They would have been stuck on earth. But they would have been together, with their baby. 

His fingers pressed into the softness of Keith's belly. Beneath his fingertips, he could feel the solid bulk of muscle, built over years of harsh training and tireless dedication. He could hardly imagine Keith without those firm muscles. Everyday, his mind conjured the image his mate, belly heavy and swollen with child. And every day he shook his head in disbelief, unable to fully comprehend the notion. Keith, pregnant. Soon, he wouldn't need his imagination. Soon, their child would begin letting themself be known.

He sighed contentedly, nuzzling against Keith's neck and scenting him heavily. 

"Soon, baby."

Keith hummed in answer, although he had the feeling that Shiro was speaking more to himself. Soon, he agreed. Very soon, the reality of his condition would sink in. When it did, Keith hoped he had a strong enough will to not crumble completely in shock and awe.

=====

No longer being a paladin was both upsetting and freeing. Keith often debated whether he felt relief or regret over his retired status. He supposed the rank did not matter so much. He was still a part of the team, although he primarily worked in his room now, propped up in his nest with half a dozen pillows as he sorted through maps and plans and slogged through the more tedious logs that the others had not the focus for. 

At least he was still good for something, he groused, flicking out of a screen. 

Pressing the heels of his palms to his eyes, he considered taking a break and searching out a snack. Thankfully, his stomach usually settled by midday and he could snack without fear of violent retching. If his nose hadn't been playing tricks on him, Hunk had made some sort of cookie or pastry earlier. Something sweet was just what he decided he wanted and he swung his feet out of bed enthusiastically. 

He had to take the long way to the kitchen, careful to avoid the conference room where he knew Shiro and the others were conferencing with coalition members. If his scent breached the room and reached Shiro's nose, he knew the man would excuse himself and come chasing after. Privacy was a thing of the past. Now, he had to kick Shiro out of the bathroom just so he could pee. 

A platter of chocolate brownies greeted him as he entered the kitchen. If that was not a sign that he was mean to eat, he did not know what was. Since there were no accusing eyes, he helped himself to the plate, taking half, along with a great serving of milk. If anyone wanted to complain, he would let Shiro deal with it. Having an overbearing alpha mate had to come in handy for something.

Back in the comfort of their new room--which, he had to admit he liked far better than the cramped paladin quarters--Keith curled up in bed, pushing work aside and opening a series of articles on human pregnancy that Pidge had been able to download for him. Her skills were truly amazing, that she could access such technology so far from earth. 

It was tedious reading, but he forced himself to focus. This was important. He did not want to get halfway through a pregnancy and realize that he had no clue what he ought to expect, much less what he needed to do. Being an omega, he had the basic idea of what was to come; sickness, cravings, weight gain, hormone fluctuation, and one hell of a painful birth. Of course, Keith thought, with his unique plumbing, he was certain they would be cutting the baby from his body. One more scar was not a big deal.

A pleasant ding filled the room, alerting him to a visitor at his door. The communication line opened.

"Yes?"

"Ah, you're awake." Coran's voice crackled merrily. "May I come in?"

"Of course; I'm in the bedroom."

Through the open bedroom door, he could hear the suite door whoosh open and the soft tread of steps approaching. A shock of orange hair peeked in through the doorway. 

"Are you decent?"

Keith glanced at his bare legs. He did not think a pair of shorts would offend the Altean. "I wouldn't have told you to come in otherwise."

With a gentle hum, Coran stepped further in, strolling to the bedside. His eyes crinkled in mirth, mouth quirked beneath his mustache. Keith recognized the affectionate expression; he was Coran's surrogate son now, the man becoming his guardian and guiding omega. He was the first omega Keith had ever truly trusted. 

"How do you feel, Keith?"

Keith groaned; he had to get used to people asking that question. His health was suddenly one of the most fascinating topics of conversation in the castle. Having Shiro ask him the same thing five times a day--probably more--was grating enough. Every other person on aboard echoing the sentiment was maddening. He could not be mad at Coran though.

"I'm fine." he sighed. "Tired of everyone asking. Nothing has changed."

"Nothing has changed?" Coran echoed before throwing his arms open in the air. "Everything has changed! You're pregnant! There's a baby on the way! It will be the first paladin baby in over ten thousand years!"

Seeing as they were only the second generation of paladins, Keith didn't think it was truly that big a deal. Babies happened, even at times of war. The only thing that made this pregnancy special was the fact that he had spent so long believing himself unable to conceive. It was a special moment for him and Shiro. Did it really matter to the others?

"If you say so then."

The man sat, touching his hand gently. "What's wrong? You seem upset."

"Not upset. Just...confused."

"Confused? About?"

Anything, Keith thought. Everything. His life had been turned upside down. He was no longer a paladin, no longer a Blade, no longer a warrior; everything he had known about himself was suddenly untrue. He wasn't barren. He was going to be a mother. Keith paused--he had already gotten used to that idea. Mother, father, parent, life-giver. Whatever the term, he was carrying a life inside of him. 

"I don't know if I deserve this." he said suddenly, surprising even himself. 

Coran's brows drew in alarm. It was never good when an expecting omega was uncertain of their feelings for the coming child. No, that was not allowed on his ship, not to one of his brood. 

He grabbed Keith's hands, pressing them firmly between his own. "If ever there was anybody who deserved this happiness, it's you and Shiro. I've seen for years how much you two love each other. I was there when you thought you were pregnant all those years ago and I was there when you thought that you were--"

He faltered. Truth told, when it had been revealed that the machinery on the ship was not properly fitted to read hybrids such as Keith, Coran had felt a deep sense of guilt. His failure to ensure that all the crew was safely monitored had led to a misreading so grievous that not one, but two paladins lives were changed for the worst. 

Keith frowned, reading the unhappiness in the man's eyes. He pulled his hands away, settling them in his lap as he turned his gaze to the far wall. 

"It's alright, Coran. Shiro says that everything happens for a reason. Even after everything he's been through, he believes that. I'm not sure I do, but if he honestly feels that we were meant to suffer through these trials, I'll believe him. All that really matters, I guess, is that we're here now."

The Altean shifted uncomfortably. Looking at Keith, he was suddenly aware of how small the man was. The years of Shiro's absence had taken a toll on the omega, sapping him of his strength and vitality. There was still great strength in that lithe frame, he knew, but Coran also knew that the events of the last year had ruined Keith. 

"I would have sacrificed the last star in the Altean solar system to give this to you, if I could have." Coran said solemnly, laying a hand to Keith's knee. "You deserve this, Keith. Don't ever think that you aren't deserving of anything. Especially this."

Keith said nothing, offering only the barest hint of a smile. It was a strange time, when he was one moment weeping in joy at his coming child and then vibrating in uncertainty the next moment as he considered his worthiness of such a gift. Hormones, Shiro joked, but he could see the worry lingering in his mate's eyes. How could he be unhappy at a time like this? When he had told Shiro, they were both laughing and crying in joy. As the reality settled in though, he began to worry.

Keith sighed, flopping into the nest of pillows his mate had dutifully made for him. He could feel the weight of coran's worried gaze on him as he ran a hand through his mussed bangs. 

_Please_ , he begged to whatever deity was listening, _don't let me be broken again._

Words were failing and he sensed that his presence was not much wanted. With a sigh, Coran got to his feet, offering a final pat to Keith's leg. He would have a word with Shiro later to garner his opinion on Keith's state. Surely the alpha would know better than any if something were amiss. As he stepped through the doorway, he was called back.

"Coran?"

The man turned, curious. "Yes?"

Keith chewed on the inside of his cheek, as if debating to ask his question. News of his query would get back to Shiro were he to ask. That would complicate matters considerably. It would be annoying, but curiosity and worry would be far more irritating. Better to ask his question, get an answer, and suffer the consequences of a worrisome alpha than stew in turmoil. 

"When are they going to tell me that they know where Prince Lotor is?"


End file.
